This was the heartbreaking moment Munster captain and Ireland hard man Peter O'Mahony fought back tears as the devastated rugby team held their first press conference since the sudden death of coach Anthony Foley.

O'Mahony was visibly shaken by the tragedy as he sat in front of a packed media conference, struggling to compose himself and holding his head in his hands as he took questions.

It came just days after coach Foley was found dead in his room at the team hotel on Sunday morning, hours before they were due to play Racing 92 in the European Champions Cup.

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After composing himself, O'Mahony, who was joined by Munster Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, paid tribute to his late coach, saying: “My first game that he coached me at Munster was an U-20 game at Thomond Park, we won it 3-0 and that suited Axel as good as if we’d won it by 70. He wanted to win for Munster at any cost.

“I’m not going to do him justice here, personally he meant a huge amount. He’s been there, I haven’t supported a Munster team that he wasn’t involved in. The amount he’s given the club, it can’t be calculated.

“I was lucky he was in my position as well, the knowledge he could give to me. At times it was frustrating because he was such a good footballer, he found it diffcult to understand that we couldn’t’ see what he could.

“The amount we’ve lost now that he’s gone, the rugby knowledge; the man, the coach and the friend, it’s huge.”